Line finder



1959 c. WINTER ET AL 2,

LINE FINDER Filed Sept. 26, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Cfiarles A. Mrz

Oct, 6, 1959 c, L, WINTER ET AL 2,907,438

LINE FINDER Filed Sept. 26, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE/1+ 1959 c. L.WINTER ET AL 2,907,438

LINE FINDER Filed Sept. 26, 1955 5 Sheets-Shet s United States PatentLINE FINDER ,Application September 26, 1955, Serial No. 536,381

i 4 Claims; (CL 197-'114) V This invention relates to an attachment fora writing machine, and more particularly to a mechanism for advancingcontinuous-form stationery to predetermined writing positions upon eachform length.

The present application is a continuation-impart of our co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 407,127, filed Ianuary 29, 1954, and now issuedas Patent No. 2,788,108, entitled Stationery Advancing Mechanism for aWriting Machine.

Continuous-form stationery is often used in writing machines for thepurpose of typing bills, invoices, and the like which are similarlyformed in continuous strips. The operator of the machine, whether it bea typewriter, an accounting machine or a billing machine, generally hasto type a name and address on the form and thereafter the body of theform must usually be filled in at one or more places. There may beconsiderable space between each bit of typing on each form, and, inaddi: tion, often there is a space between the last line of typing andthe first line on the next succeeding form length. The present device isparticularly well adapted to advance portions of each form length intoproper typing position and to advance the continuous strip so that thenext succeeding form length may be quickly brought into proper writingposition. The ability of the device to properly position each formlength of a strip is independent of the amount of typing done on apreceding form length.

Previous mechanisms for advancing the platen of a writing machine havebeen provided with auxiliary levers for stopping the movement of theplaten intermediate the ends of a form length. These mechanisms havegenerally required an additional manual operation .over and above themere grasping of the handle and pulling of the handle forwardly toadvance the platen. The structure of the present invention obviates thenecessity ofadditional manual operations and permits the advancement ofstationery around the platen of the writing machine frombeginning to theend of a form length or to intermediate positions on the form lengthwith a single type of manual operation on the part of the operator.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved platen advancing lever assembly.

' Another object is to provide a platen advancing lever assembly havingan improved stop mechanism which is automatically advanced intooperative position with each manual operation of the handle of the leverassembly.

A further object is to provide a stop mechanism which, after arrestingmovement of the platen, will automatically move out of engagement andforwardly of the stopping stud of the stop mechanism when the manualpull on the handle of the lever assembly is relaxed.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with the outer cover removed toexpose the working parts, of the platen advancing mechanism showing thelever assembly in its rearward position;

2,907,438 Patented Oct 6, 1959.

Fig. 2, an elevational view as shown in Fig. 1, but with the leverassembly in its forward position;

Fig. 3, a view as in Fig. 1, but showingthe lever assembly in anintermediate position in which the cooperating studs are shown inengagement, the dotted line position showing the action of the handleand lever assembly when the handle is released after a manual.operation;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary side elevational view of the writing machineattachment showing the stop stud which is mounted in the frame;

Fig. 5, a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated on line 5-5 ofFig. 4;

Fig. 6, a side elevational view of the platen advancing lever assemblyshown isolated from the remainder of the writing machine atachment Fig.7, a top plan view of the lever assembly shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8, a side elevational view of the lever assembly from the oppositeside as that shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9, aside elevational view of the handle mounting portion of thelever assembly;

Fig. 10, a side elevational view of the handle portion I of the leverassembly; and

Fig. 11, a side elevational view of the platen advancing pawl of thewriting attachment.

The attachment of the present invention operates with a cylindricalplaten usually equipped with feed pins which enter into perforated feedbands of continuous-form stationery. The stationery strips arepreferably divided by lines of weakening into a series of similar formlength so that after typing or Writing on the forms, they may beseparated into individual invoices, vouchers or the like. For example,an operator may only wish to type a name and address on the heading ofthe form length and one or more lines just below the heading. There isconsiderable space between-the heading on one form and the heading onthe next succeeding form. Previously, the manual line feed of thewriting machine would be used or the operator would grasp the knobs 15at the ends of the platen to turn the forms through the machine to theheading of the next form. More recently, devices have been attached toplatens which pennit the advancement or extraction of the forms throughthe machine to the next line of typing upon the pulling of a lever. 11:is with this type of mechanism that the present invention is concerned.

The present mechanism is adapted to move with the platen and may besecured to the carriage of the writing machine in a conventional manner.The mechanism has a frame including a back plate 16 and a front cover17, formed with a slotted rim portion 18 and secured to the back plateby a number of machine screws 20. The cover 17 along with the portion 18is removable to expose the inside mechanism of the device.

The device may be provided with a clutch mechanism such as is describedin our aforementioned co-pending application, Serial No. 407,127, but itis sufiicient for an understanding of the present invention to merelydescribe the connecting means operably joining the lever assembly,generally designated 21, to a journal 22v of the platen of the writingmachine.

As best seen in Figs. 1 through 3, a small spur gear 23 is operablyconnected to the platen journal 22, and meshes with a larger spur gear24 on a shaft 25 which is journale d in the frame of the platenadvancing mechanism sothat the platen rotationimparts rotation to theshaft 25, and vice versa. Adjacent the larger gear 24 a ratchet wheel 26is mounted having square-sided notches 27 at diametrically opposed sidesof its periphery to accommodate. a pawl 28 pivoted to the lever assembly21. The pawl 28 has a detent 30 of a size and shape to fit into thenotches 27 and is normally held in the notches by the end of a torsionspring 31 bearing on a stud 32.

During a typing operation, the platen is rotated which turns the gears23 and 24 and advances the ratchet wheel 26. Since "the pawl 28 isinengagement with the ratchet wheel 26 and is pivotally secured to thelever assembly 21, the lever :assembly 2 is carried along with theratchet wheel. The typing operation maybe continued until the leverassembly bears against an adjustable forward stop 33. As the leverassembly approaches the stop 33, a'roller 34 on the leading end of thepawl 28 engages the cam surface 35 of a locking pawl 36 and removes thedetent 30 from the notch 27. The locking pawl is provided with a shallowsquare-sided notch 37 adapted to snap around a square boss 38 secured onthe side of the ratchet wheel 26 at the instant the detent 30 leaves thenotch 27. A torsion spring 40 urges the locking pawl 36 about itspivot'41 toward the shaft 25.

The lever assembly 21 is returned against a rearward adjustable stop 42under action of a torsion spring 43 coiled around the shaft 25 andattached to the lever assembly with its other end secured in the forwardstop 33. When the lever assembly returns against the rearward stop 42,-a lower edge portion 44 engages a boss 45 on the locking pawl .36forcing it downwardly to disengage the notch 37 from the square boss 38on the ratchet wheel. At the same time, the advance pawl 28 willreengage the ratchet wheel by permitting the detent 30 to enter theopposite notch 27 in the ratchet wheel 26. Frequently, it is desirableto use the platen advancing mechanism to advance a form length ofstationery from an initial writing position at the heading of the formto a'second writing position on the body of the form length. Thestructure of'the lever assembly 21 is particularly well formulated toattain this result. The stopping of the lever assembly 21 in anintermediate position is accomplished by a pair of cooperating studswhich are brought into engagement with each other. As best seen in Figs.4 and 5, a stud or stop member 46is adjustably secured by a screw 47 inan arcuate slot 48 in the cover plate 17, the slot preferably having itscenter coincident with the axis of the shaft 25. The movement of thelever assembly 21 is arrested when a second stud or stop member 50 iscaused to be moved from a path which normally clears the stud 46 to apath which intersects with the stud 46.

This movement of the stud 46 is attained in the present lever assemblyby providing a handle portion 51 pivotally secured to a handle mountingportion 52 which is idly mounted on the shaft 25. The handle portion 51projects outwardly through a curved slot in the top of the frame so thatit is readily accessible for manual operation. The relative pivotalmovement between the handle 51 and the mounting portion 52 is limited bya lost motion connection preferably provided by a projection 53 on theportion 52 extending outwardly through an enlarged, preferably circular,opening 54 in the handle 51. The torsion spring 55 is passed around thepivot pin 4? between the handle 51 and mounting portion 52 with its endsbearing against a boss 56 on the handle 51 and the projection 53 on themounting portion 52 to urge the handle about the pivot pin 49 toward theshaft 25, as best seen in Fig. 1. The handle 51 carries a movable studStl mounted in a slot 57 positioned to be generally coincident with thearcuate slot 48 in the cover member when the lost motion connection istaken up between the handle and its mounting member. Generally thestraight-sided slot 57 is tangent to the inner side of the arcuate slot(Fig. 3) when the lost motion connection is taken up. 7

When it is desired to advance a form length to an intermediatewritingposition, the handle 51 is swung forwardly. Initially, only thehandle 51 moves until, the inner marginal edge of the opening .54 isbrought to bear on the projection 53 (as shown in Fig. 2). After thisinitial take-up of the lost motion connection, the mounting portion 52moves with the handle 51. The initial pivoting of the handle through thelost motion connection carries the stud 50 outwardly of the axis of theshaft 25 into a path which intersects the stud 46 on the frame. As thehandle 51 and mounting portion 52 are'swung forwardly together, the twostuds 46 and 50 are brought into engage ment, as shown in Fig. 3,signifying that the form length of stationery is at the properintermediate writing position. When the handle is released, the torsionspring 55 pivots the handle clockwise, as shown in dotted outline inFig. 3, so that stud St) is carried to a position where it will clearthe stud 46 as typing is resumed on the Writing machine.

Occasionally a single line'or less of writing is typed at thisintermediate position. In prior devices a manual turn of the platen afew degrees before resuming use of the handle 51 was required since thestop studs would still be in engagement as neither the platen nor thehandle would be advanced. a

To obviate this defect, the lever assembly 21 in the present inventionis preferably formed so that the stud 50 will pass out of engagement andforwardly of the stud 46 when the handle is released or relaxed aftermanual turning to the intermediate position. To this end, as seen inFig. 1, the stud 50 is preferably slidably mounted in the slot 57 and isnormally held in the forward end of the slot by a torsion spring 58anchored on a boss 60 on handle 51 and having arms bearing against thestud 50 and the boss 56.

When the handle 51 is advanced forwardly, the stud 50 is carriedoutwardly by the pivoting handle so that the stud 50 will engagethe stud46, as described above. After the initial engagement between the twostuds, the handle 51 continues "forwardly a few more degrees, andthestud, 59 is forced to the rearward end of the slot 57, in whichposition it arrests forward movement of the handle 51. The handle isthen released so that typing may be resumed, and the stud 50 is carrieddownwardly by the clockwise pivoting of the handle :51, as seen indotted outline in Fig. 3. As the stud 50 passes out of engagement withthe stud 46, the torsion spring' 53 forces the stud Stl forwardly to itsnormal positionat the forward end of the slot 57, in which position itis moved forwardly of the'stud 46. In this case, even if only a vsingleline is typed and the handle is swung forwardly, the stud 5.0 will notreengage the stud 46 because the stud 5.0 then occupies a position atthe forward end of slot .57 which is forwardly of the stud 46. Thisaction in eflect allows the stud 50 in slot 57 to pass around theadjustable .stop provided on the casing cover. If it is desired to typeat several difierent places in the body of a form length, it is ofcourse contemplated that additional stops similar to stud 46 may beused, and they may be adjustably disposed in the slot 48 as desired.

The foregoing detailed description .has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled inthe art.-

We claim: v l. A platen advancing mechanism for a Writing machineadapted to .move continuous-form stationery through the machine topredetermined positions on each form length comprising: aframe forattachment to the writing machine; a rotatable ratchet wheel mounted in.

the frame; connecting means for providing a driving connection from theplaten to said rotatable ratchetwheel; a pivoted platen advancing leverswingable between a forward and a rearward position and having a pawlengageable with the ratchet wheel to turn the connect ing means and theplaten, the pawl and ratchet wheel having a configuration to preventdisengagement thereof during writing advancement of the platen, saidlever including a handle portion .and a handle mounting portion, thehandle portion being pivotally secured to the handle mounting portionand having a lost motion connection with the mounting portion providingfor movement between the two portions in the plane of the are throughwhich the lever is swung to advance the platen; stop members limitingpivotal movement of the lever at forward and rearward poistions; meansfor disengaging the pawl from the ratchet wheel when the handle portionmoves against the forward stop; and a pair of cooperating studs forarresting movement of said lever between said forward and rearwardpositions, one of the studs being Secured to the frame, and the otherstud being secured to the handle portion, the lost motion connectionpermitting said other stud to be advanced from a path clearing the onestud to a path intersecting said one stud when the lever is swungforwardly from its rearward position, the engagement of the studsarresting advancement of the stationery in a predetermined positiondifferent from the position obtained with the handle portion against theforward stop.

2. Mechanism as specified in claim 1, in which the handle portion isspring-urged to a position in which the other stud will lie in a pathclearing the one stud so that, after the lever is swung to a positionengaging the two studs, release of the handle portion will move thestuds out of engagement for a subsequent platen advance.

3. Mechanism as specified in claim 1, in which the handle portion isspring-urged to a position in which the other stud will normally lie ina path clearing the one stud, and the handle portion is provided with anelongated slot in which the other stud is movably mounted, said otherstud being spring-urged to the forward end of the slot whereby when thelever is swung forwardly to engage the studs, said other stud is forcedinto abutment with the rearward end of the slot before arresting pivotalmovement of the lever, the release of the lever permitting the otherstud to pivot to said path clearing the one stud and to be urged againto the forward end of the slot in a position where said other stud canno longer engage said one stud when the handle portion is again swungforwardly.

4. A platen advancing mechanism for a writing machine adapted to movecontinuous-form stationery through the machine to a predeterminedposition on each form length, comprising: a frame for attachment to thewriting machine; a rotatable shaft journaled in the frame;

connecting means for providing a driving connection from the platen tosaid rotatable shaft; a platen-advancing lever secured to said shaft andswingable between a forward and a rearward position, said leverincluding a handle portion and a handle mounting portion on the shaft,the handle portion being pivoted to the handle mounting portion andhaving a lost motion connection therewith providing for movement betweenthe two portions in the plane of the are through which the lever isswung to advance the platen; and a pair of cooperating studs, one of thestuds being secured to the frame, and the other stud being secured tothe handle portion, the lost motion connection permitting said otherstud to be moved from a path clearing the one stud to a pathintersecting said one stud when the lever is advanced forwardly, theengagement of the, studs arresting forward movement of the lever andstopping the platen in a predetermined position, said handle portionbeing normally spring-urged to a position in which the other stud willnormally lie in a path clearing the one stud, said handle portion beingprovided with an elongated slot in which the other stud is movablymounted, said other stud being spring urged to the forward end of theslot whereby, when the lever is swung forwardly to engage the studs,said other stud is forced into abutment with the rearward end of theslot before arresting pivotal movement of the lever, the release of thelever permitting the other stud to pivot with the handle portion to saidpath clearing the one stud and to be urged again to the forward end ofthe slot in a position where said other stud can no longer engage saidonestud when the handle portion is again swung forwardly.

848,678 McCormack Apr. 2, 1907

